Replacement
by celestial princess
Summary: Nuriko's dead and the seishi can't summon Suzaku. Or so they think, until Chichiri makes an interesting discovery. (G for now. Rating may change.)
1. An Answer to the Question

A/N: This fic is based off a dream I had, so if the plot seems too bizarre, or if the story seems warped, remember that this was based off a dream and dreams make no sense.

  


Sorry about the American names. But like I said in the last paragraph, this was based off a dream and I don't dream in Chinese or Japanese! (I've actually dreamed in Hebrew, but that's a different story.)

  


Slight spoilers, slight AU fic after episode 33. Hotohori is already married to Houki, but Boushin isn't born yet.

  


The seishi were all lying around the palace. There was nothing to do. Everyone was too upset to do anything but mope after the death of Nuriko. Each day passed by more slowly than the previous one. A terrible, terrible sadness hung in the air, pressing down on everyone, like a big pile of bricks on their heads.

  


No one had said much to each other for about a week. No one was acting normal. Miaka wasn't eating right, Tasuki and Tamahome stopped fighting, Hotohori had a bunch of hand mirrors strewn around his chambers, each one face down and collecting dust. Chichiri had been spending all his time in the library trying to see if there was a spell that could bring someone back to life that didn't turn them into mindless, flesh-hungry zombies a la Shouka. Chiriko spent most of his time looking outside the window, leaving his bed covered with opened scrolls. Mitsukake was probably the only one acting normal, as he wasn't saying much and was keeping to himself. But even that had un unfamiliarity to it.

  


Right now, all the Miaka and seishi minus Chichiri (who was in the library), were lying in the garden, doing their favorite newly acquired pastime - reminiscing about Nuriko.

  


"Remember the time when we thought he was a girl," Miaka said with fondness, cuddling her knees to her chest. "And then I was taking a bath, and I hugged him? Then his robes fell o-" She was cut short by Chichiri, who came running towards them in chibi form and carrying a scroll.

  


"Look at this no da!" Chichiri cried excitedly. "I found some really good information!"

  


Miaka, wanting to be the first to know good news, jumped up and grabbed the scroll from Chichiri. Her face fell when she remembered that she couldn't read Chinese.

  


"Chichiri, what does it say?" she asked him, after going on for five minutes about how reading kanji was so hard for her and how she always screwed up in her kanji class and made the class get extra homework, making everyone sweatdrop.

  


"I'll read it to you no da," Chichiri said, un-chibifing holding the scroll open in front of Miaka and pointing to each word as he read. "'If any one of the seishi of Suzaku die, a replacement, who was born when the rest of the seishi were, shall take the place of the deceased seishi.'"

  


Miaka and Chichiri looked at each other for a second, then turned chibi and started jumping up and down and screaming like two schoolgirls, having found out that the boy one of them had been crushing on asked them out.

  


Everyone just looked at them, unsure of what to say. Tamahome put his head in his hands and said something that sounded like, "_This_ is the girl I want to marry?"

  


"So, Chichiri," Miaka said, consulting the scroll. "What's her name?"

  


Chichiri looked at the scroll. "Julia no da."

  


"Julia? Isn't that kind of American sounding? I mean, that name's obviously not from around here," Miaka said, looking at Chichiri for help. Chichiri just shrugged.


	2. The Answer is Coming

Miaka lay dreaming about Julia. She wondered what it would be like to have a replacement for Nuriko. Would Julia be the kind of person you could wake up at three in the morning because you wanted someone to talk to? Or would she be completely different? She knew Julia would be a woman, unlike Nuriko, but there was something that didn't seem quite right about that. She didn't know why.  
  
Three girls shed in blood with arrows on their backs, bows in their hands, and swords strapped to their hips, walked over to the well. The blood they were shed in was not their own. Rather, it was the blood of Koutu spies that had been mercilessly slaughtered by the girls. Instead of being upset, they were laughing like small children. They were talking, joking, and singing happily as they washed the blood from their arms.  
  
One girl was sitting on the edge of the well. The top was slippery. The girl fell in, but her arm was held by a beautiful girl with blue hair tied up in a bun. The robe of the blue-haired girl fell around her shoulders, exposing her them as she tried to help the other girl. Neither girl noticed the red symbol blazing on the blue-haired girl's chest, right below her collarbone.  
  
"Are you all right, Kinu?" the blue-haired girl asked, pulling the other girl onto solid ground.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Kinu replied, smiling, but shaken. "That was scary."  
  
The blue-haired girl started busying herself with adjusting her robe.  
  
"Julia!" the third girl exclaimed, rushing towards her. "What's that on your chest?" She pointed right below the girl's collarbone, where the symbol for willow shone brightly.  
  
"I don't believe it," Kinu said. "It's one of the symbols of Suzaku!"  
  
"But... I thought all the seishi were summoned," Julia protested.  
  
"Guess not," the girl exclaimed. "Come on! We've got to get you to the priestess! She lives in the palace, right, Kinu?" Kinu nodded. "Let's go, then!"  
  
Julia groaned as Chika grabbed her hand and started running towards the village, Kinu tagging along behind. Seeing Chika right now, with her forest green hair billowing behind her in the wind, Julia couldn't help but laugh a little. She could get so excited sometimes.  
  
A/N: I know this chapter is pretty short, but I couldn't think of anything else to happen. Sorry about it taking so long to come out, but I've been working on four stories at once, when I should be working on five, and AIM has been making me laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed! *hugglehuggle* 


	3. The Answer's in Trouble

"Wait," Chika said, sitting down on a rock and laying her bow and arrows and sword on the ground. "I can't walk anymore. Let's rest." Her forest green hair fell around her shoulders as she bent her head forward. "My feet hurt so much," she groaned. "How far are we from the capitol?"  
  
"After this next village, the capitol should be in sight," Kinu said, brushing a lock of deep purple hair from her face as she slumped down on the rock next to Chika, doing the same.  
  
"Remind me again why I agreed to this," Julia said more to herself than anyone else. She leaned against a tree, as there was no more room on the rock, putting her weapons on the ground. "I mean, this is ridiculous! It's not like we can just go up to the emperor and say 'Hey, Your Majesty, we found someone who we think is a seishi of Suzaku!' They'll throw us out of the palace!"  
  
"But you are a seishi of Suzaku," Chika protested. "I saw the symbol with my own eyes!"  
  
"Will you knock that off already?!" Julia shouted as she took off her shoe and threw it in Chika's direction. "Oh, great," she muttered as her shoe missed Chika and flew passed her into the forest.  
  
Julia sighed, picked herself up, and went in the forest in search of her shoe.  
  
After searching for about five minutes, she heard rustling behind her. She turned around to see what it was. It was a tall, blonde man with armor on. Julia could feel a sense of great power coming from him.  
  
"May I help you?" the man asked. He was looking straight at Julia - or rather at her chest. Julia looked down and saw a red light shining underneath her robes. Was that what the man saw? Did it have something to do with her symbol?  
  
"I-I'm fine, thanks," Julia said, backing away.  
  
"Are you sure?" the man inquired. "Because it seems odd that a young woman as attractive as yourself would be wandering in the forest all alone."  
  
"Leave me alone!" Julia tried to say. Her mouth formed the words, but nothing came out.  
  
***  
  
"Nuriko!" Hotohori cried, sitting straighter on his throne.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" the advisor he was meeting with him asked.  
  
"Nuriko's spirit," Hotohori explained. "We feel it. He's in trouble." He ran towards the door, then stopped when he was halfway there. "No, it's not Nuriko. It's his replacement, Julia. Julia's in trouble!" Hotohori turned to a servant. "Prepare our horse, find us some common clothes, and make it quick. We don't know how much time we have."  
  
"Yes, your majesty," the servant said, bowing and hurrying out of the room.  
  
***  
  
The blonde man advanced on Julia, drawing his sword. There was a sadistic smile on his face. Julia could see something blue shining on his forehead, behind his bangs.  
  
Is this man a seishi of Suzaku? Julia wondered.  
  
Julia was backed up against a tree. The man held his sword against her throat. Julia's mind started racing. What was his most vulnerable spot? How could she get out of this situation? She did a quick once-over, trying to see what part of his body wasn't covered by armor.  
  
Julia longingly thought of her sword, which was back by the rock where Kinu and Chika were resting. Did they know what was happening to her? How long was she gone?  
  
The man put his hand to Julia's robe and pulled it down, exposing most of her chest. He smiled when he saw the symbol for willow glowing on her chest.  
  
"Now that I found the replacement for Nuriko, I will have to kill you," the man said. "When Nuriko died, you came as a replacement. But when you die, there will be no one to replace you." He pressed his sword harder against Julia's throat.  
  
Being a warrior, Julia had been in this situation many times before. The only problem was, she had never been in this situation without her weapons in easy reach. She had to follow her instincts. She drew her fist back and punched the man in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards. His sword dropped to the ground, scratching Julia's chest as it fell.  
  
"CHIKA!" Julia cried. "KINU! COME QUICK AND BRING YOUR WEAPONS!" She picked up the man's sword and pointed it at his throat, a fire burning in her eyes, showing the man that he would not be able to overpower her easily.  
  
***  
  
Hotohori rode his horse as fast as he could. He had no idea where he was going, only following something inside him that said which direction Julia lay.  
  
Before he knew it, he was outside a forest. Two young women were sitting on a rock talking to each other. One woman had an excited look in her eyes and forest green hair. The other woman had dark purple hair, like wine, and had a calmer, more knowledgeable look in her eyes. Both women looked nervous, and the one with green hair was reaching for one of the three swords that lay by the rock the girls were sitting on.  
  
Hotohori cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said. "Is either one of you girls Julia?" They both looked at him.  
  
"How do you know Julia?" the green-haired girl asked. She assumed an air of defense.  
  
Hotohori, feeling his symbol appear, brought his hair over his shoulder and pulled at his color, exposing his neck, and his symbol. The eyes of the two girls grew wide as they saw his symbol burning brightly.  
  
"She... went into the woods," the purple-haired girl explained. "To get her shoe. She hasn't come out for a while."  
  
Hotohori didn't need to hear anymore. He quickly galloped into the forest, followed by the two girls, swords at the ready.  
  
He hadn't been looking about the woods for more than three minutes when the purple-haired girl let out a cry.  
  
"Julia!" she cried, running towards a blue-haired girl with a bloody sword in her hand. The girl jumped when she heard the voice, then saw the girl with the purple hair and came running towards her.  
  
"Kinu!" Julia cried once she had reached the group of three. "Didn't you hear me call?"  
  
"No," Kinu replied shaking her head. Then she looked at the bloody sword. "What happened?"  
  
"I was looking for my shoe, then I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me. I turned around, and there's this blonde man wearing armor."  
  
Hotohori's ears perked up. "A blonde man in armor? Did you catch his name?"  
  
"No," Julia said, looking at him. It was then Hotohori realized he hadn't introduced himself.  
  
"My name is Hotohori," he said, getting off his horse and kissing Julia's hand. "I am a seishi if Suzaku."  
  
"My name is Julia," Julia replied, going scarlet. She noticed her symbol glowing bright red.  
  
"Isn't that sweet!" Chika cried. "Even your symbol is blushing!" Julia rolled her eyes and hit Chika.  
  
"Shut up!" Julia cried. The two girls started bickering.  
  
"What were you saying about the blonde man in armor?" Hotohori asked, hoping to get back to the original topic.  
  
Julia told how the blonde man seemed to know a lot about her, and how he called her a replacement for Nuriko. He didn't make her feel comfortable, and tried to kill her. She ended up punching him in the jaw and sending him running.  
  
"I think I broke his jaw," Julia said when she finished the story. "It's kind of amazing, considering the fact that I didn't punch him that hard."  
  
"It's your seishi power," Hotohori explained, smiling. "Nuriko had super strength, and I guess you do, too." He held out his hand to her. "Would you like me to bring you back to the palace so I can show you to the other seishi?"  
  
Julia took his hand, stepped forward, and tripped. She got up and pulled up the thing that made her trip.  
  
"My shoe!" she exclaimed. Laughing, the four of them left the forest to go to Konan.  
  
A/N: My first chapter of this story to be longer than a page! Yay! Um, to tell you all the truth, I'm not quite sure what to do next in the story. Everything that happened in my dream happened in the last chapter. I have ideas, but they won't come around for at least another two chapters. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You make me feel so special!  
  
And if anyone's wondering; no, I'm not planning on making this a romance fic. I have enough of those already, and hopefully I won't accidentally turn it into a romance fic like I did with Oops!  
  
Harry: Yeah, but if you didn't have any romance, there wouldn't be any drama.  
  
Celestial Princess: I think the Hermione/Nuriko thing was pretty dramatic without having any romance. And what about this thing I'm planning for the story? *whispers in Harry's ear*  
  
Harry: That is too romance!  
  
Celestial Princess: It is not! She doesn't love him! 


	4. Meet the Rest of the Seishi

~*~

  


There was a gasp from all three girls when Eiyo came into sight. Being born and raised in the country, they were unaccustomed to big cities. All the sights and sounds were new to them.

  


Julia, who was sitting directly behind Hotohori on his horse, gave his waist a tight squeeze.

  


"The city is so big," she told him. "It's almost scary."

  


"You'd better get used to it," Hotohori replied. "You will be living here until Suzaku is summoned."

  


"All three of us, or just Julia?" Kinu, who was sitting behind Julia, asked.

  


"It's your decision," Hotohori said. "You can return home if you want to, but I would be honored if you decided to stay here in the palace."

  


"The PALACE?!?!?!" all three girls said in shock at the same time. Chika almost fell off the horse.

  


"Of course," Hotohori said calmly. "That's where all the seishi live."

  


Hotohori led the horse in through the back gate. Once he was in, he helped the girls off the horse and led the horse to the stables. Julia wondered if Hotohori was a servant of some kind.

  


The girls were led into the palace by Hotohori. As they were walking through the corridors, Hotohori pointed out all the rooms.

  


"... and this is the throne room..." Hotohori said, pointing to a door over his left shoulder. "Most people say it's the most beautiful room in the palace. Personally, I hate it."

  


Chika asked if they could look inside. Hotohori said they could. Kinu then wondered if the emperor would get mad.

  


"Why?" Hotohori asked. "He's not even in there." The girls looked in, and sure enough, the emperor was nowhere in sight.

  


Julia wondered out loud where the emperor could be. Didn't he spend most of the day sitting on his throne?

  


"Sometimes he spends time meeting with his advisors in different rooms," Hotohori explained. "But he's not there, either."

  


"Where is he?" Kinu asked. "I would very much like to meet him, if that's not too much trouble."

  


Just at that moment, an old advisor walked through the hall. When he spotted Hotohori, he bowed low to the ground.

  


"Your Majesty," he said. "I trust you had a safe trip?"

  


_This man is the emperor?_ Julia thought.

  


"Yes, thank you," Hotohori replied.

  


"Did you find Julia?"

  


"Yes," Julia said, stepping forward and bowing to prove that she was indeed found.

  


"Wonderful," the old advisor said. "I'm thrilled." Julia found it odd that he should say he was thrilled, when his face had not changed its expression.

  


Hotohori and his advisor lapsed into conversation over some matter or another. Julia wasn't paying attention. She was still getting over her shock of discovering that Hotohori was the emperor. He didn't seem like the type to her, with his casual manner, his plain clothes, and his cheery smile. It was not what you would expect in a ruler. But what struck Julia as the most interesting was how young he was. She expected seeing a middle-aged man sitting straight and proud on his throne. Not a young man with too many burdens on his shoulders.

  


_He's too handsome for that,_ she thought. _Ah! Why did I just say that?_

  


Eventually, Hotohori and his advisor finished speaking. Hotohori turned to the girls, who all has looks of shock on their faces.

  


"What, didn't expect me to be the emperor?" he laughed. The girls all shook their heads. "Well, to tell you the truth," he continued. "I personally prefer the life of a commoner. Any excuse to get me off the throne and into the country."

  


Kinu was about to say something, but was interrupted by the squeals of a brunette rushing towards Hotohori and enveloping him in a tight hug.

  


"You returned!" she cried. "You brought Julia!"

  


"Yes, I did," Hotohori replied, smiling down at Miaka. Julia saw a glimmer in Hotohori's eyes that wasn't there before. Seeing it, she smiled as well.

  


Miaka looked up at the three women standing by Hotohori. She then introduced herself as Miaka Yuki, Suzaku no Miko and offered her hand to shake. The girls, unfamiliar with this introductory custom, had to have it explained to them.

  


Once they were all aquatinted, Hotohori brought the girls to the garden, where the rest of the seishi were. Miaka went around introducing the girls to all the seishi and their powers.

  


"...this is Chiriko," she said, introducing the girls to the last seishi. "His seishi power is brains. That kid is super smart. And this is..." Miaka looked around for a second, looked like she was going to say something, but shut her mouth. "I was about to introduce you three to Nuriko," Miaka explained to the girls. "He's been such a part of our lives, and now he's gone." Tears started to glisten in her eyes.

  


"Now that we have all the seishi," Chiriko piped up. "When will we summon Suzaku?"

  


There was much debating, but everyone agreed that the summoning should be done as soon as possible, especially since Nakago knew who Julia was now.

  


At Hotohori's command, preparations were made for the summoning ceremony and wards were put up, not allowing anyone who wasn't a Suzaku seishi to enter.

  


"I think it's best that you three should rest," Hotohori said, turning to Julia, Chika, and Kinu. "You should gather your strength. We shall perform the summoning first thing tomorrow."

  


A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter seemed to go nowhere, but I've been suffering from a serious case of writer's block. I also have no idea where this story should go after Miaka summons Suzaku. She goes back to her own world, and I haven't decided what should happen to Julia & co. I also never saw the summoning, so I don't know what happens.


End file.
